People Are Happiest in Life at the Age of…

Sure, the royal baby may be the most adored child on the planet, but here’s some bad news: he’s got two decades before life really gets good.

A new study by the London School of Economics of more than 23,000 Germans between the ages of 23 and 85 has found people are most satisfied with life at the age of 23…and then again when they’re 69.

Researchers determined when people are 23 they tend to look at the future with glee before the trials and tribulations of life knock them back on their keester. Things hit rock bottom in their 50s when folks look back at their regrets the most.

Fortunately, there’s an uptick that hits a high point at the age of 69 because the disappointments of life are no longer looking at them.

One researcher summed it up by saying, “People in their fifties could learn from the elderly, who generally feel less regret. They should try not to be frustrated by their unmet expectations because they are probably not feeling much worse than their peers.”

Of course, this study should be taken with a grain of salt, since it focused solely on Germans, a people who are not exactly world-renowned for being happy and walking around with ear-to-ear smiles.